TRENTON — Governor Mikie Sherrill said New Jersey will receive more than $500 million as part of a historic multistate settlement with Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, resolving claims that the company knowingly exposed children to mental health harms through addictive social media features.
Sherrill called the settlement a major victory for New Jersey families, saying Big Tech is finally being held accountable for harm to children’s mental health and safety. She said the agreement includes new safety features intended to protect kids online, but that New Jersey would keep pressing other technology companies to curb addictive algorithms.
“I’m a mom of four kids and have seen firsthand how social media platforms can harm our kids – and how parents are often left in this fight alone,” Sherrill said.
Sherrill said that last month she signed what she described as the strongest laws in the nation regulating how technology companies reach children online, and called the Meta settlement, led in part by Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, another step toward ending what she described as an addiction pushed on children for profit.
“Since my campaign, I’ve vowed to take on Big Tech at every turn. I will keep working to ensure New Jersey is a place where kids and parents can feel secure knowing that we have their backs in this fight,” Sherrill said.
The settlement resolves claims brought by dozens of states alleging Meta designed Instagram and Facebook with addictive features and misled the public about the safety of its platforms for young users. It requires the company to put in place a broad set of new safety measures for children and teenagers on both platforms.
Read the full statement from Attorney General Jennifer Davenport.
